If you’re running a country or R&B blog, there’s a new standard to compare your traffic to (and end up getting a little depressed over). AOL Music, which is apparently the most trafficked music site, has launched The Boot and The Boombox yesterday, and both are poised to become the online behemoth’s latest attempt to turn all music coverage, everywhere, into links that lead Websurfers to AOL-branded galleries and listicles.

From the press release:

Both sites will provide music fans access to their favorite artists, including video and song premieres, news, photos, exclusive interviews, and original editorial features. The sites will be monetized through varying advertising packages that will be sold exclusively through AOL’s Platform-A services….

Last year, AOL Music underwent an extensive redesign that included the successful launches of Spinner and PopEater. According to comScore, Spinner is consistently the Web’s most visited indie music site, while PopEater has emerged as one of the most popular destinations for mainstream music. As a whole, AOL Music has increased its page views by 55% year over year.

“Despite these genres’ popularity, the Web has grossly underserved these fans, until now,” said AOL Music Vice President and Editor in Chief Bill Crandall. “With the launch of The Boot and The Boom Box, we’re taking the next step in providing users with an all encompassing music offering and experience.”

You have to admire AOL for making the most of their power and influence, but the sites are a little dull at the moment. The Boot is leading with a scare Jewel had on a flight recently, while the Boombox has a Michelle Williams video premiere. While that certainly might change as writers specific to each site are hired (it appears that the writers are shared among all of AOL’s music sites at the moment), traffic-boosting tricks like placing each question of an interview on its own page will keep me checking The 9513 for my country news instead until further notice.

AOL Music Launches Country and Urban Music Sites [Business Wire]